Vending-machine.



W-. G. BRIGGS.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 14, 1908.

91 8,41 6. Patented Apr. '13, 1909.

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INVENTOR WC. Briggs WITH/58858:

W. G. BRIGGS.

VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1908.

918,416, Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

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INVENTOR W.C. Briggs.

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM CYRUS BRIGGS, OF WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL STAMP VENDlNG MACHINE COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF FAYETTE- VILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

VE NDING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 18, 1909.

Original application filed February 6, 1907, Serial No. 356,101. Divided and this application filed March 14, 1908.

Serial No. 421,183.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM CYRus BRIGGS, residing at WVinston Salem, in the county of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in vending machines of thecoin operated type, and in its generic nature my invention comprises a vending machine of a very simple and effective construction which can be easily and cheaply manufactured and which will readily and effectively serve its intended purposes.

My invention has for its object to provide a machine of the coin operated type which can be used for vending small articles, such as postage stamps, railway tickets and the like, and in its generic nature, the invention comprises a ribbon-iike envelop or holder for containing the articles to be vended, a feeding' mechanism for said envelop, means for cutting the continuous envelop in sections, together with an improved feeding roller guard.

This invention is a division of my co-pending application filed February 6, 1907, Serial No. 356,101, in which application the specific claims are drawn to the coin operated mechanism, while in this application I make no claim to the coin controlling mechanism, per

86, but in this application only the vending machine structure is claimed.

Other details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated .in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a perspective view of the invention. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the invention, the casing being removed. Fig. 3, is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2, the parts being in the position they assume just after the coin has been ejected and the feeding and cutting mechanism unlocked. Fig. 4, is a cross section on the line e'4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is a detail perspective view of the cam. disk and lock carrying shaft. Fig. 6, is a similar view of the feed drum and its shaft. Fig. 7, is a detail section on the line Fig. 8, is a detail perspective View of the knife guard. Fig. 9, is a similar view of the fixed knife blade. Fig. 10, is a detail view hereinafter referred to. Fig. 11, is a detail cross section of a part of my invention.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which like letters and numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, 1 designates the casing having the removable front 1 and within which the operating mechanism of my invention is adapted to be contained.

The casing 1 has a discharge mouth 1', indicated in Fig. 1, and an aperture 1 forming the coin slot, while the glazed opening 1 of the casing serves to expose the registering mechanism, hereinafter again referred to.

3 designates the o crating knob which is held to the front wal of the casing to be removable therewith, by having its hub 3 keyed or pinned to the spindle 4 of a shaft receiving hub 4 rotatable in a bearing aperture in the casing front and the hub 4 has a squared bore 4, for a purpose hereinafter fully explained.

W ithin the casing is the removable frame 5, which supports the operating mechanism of my machine, and this frame 5 and its carried parts are shown in perspective in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The frame 5 includes a base 5, a main vertical web 5 and a secondary web 5", all being shaped to snugly lit within the casing.

Mounted in suitable apertures 5 in the webs 5 and 5 is a drum shaft 6 which carries the feed drum 7 that rotates with the shaft between the webs 5 and 5", and which has a series of circumferential lugs or pins 6, suitably spaced apart, to cooperate with the apertures 100 of the back strip 100 and exert a positive grip thereon. A guard 8 having a slot 8 to permit passage of the pins 6 co operates with the drum 7 to hold the strip 100 against the same. The guard S is secured to the cross bolt 8 at its upper end and at its lower end is held between a plate 5" projected from the web 5 toward the web 5 and the fixed blade 50 by-screws 50, as shown. The bolt S lies directly above the cam shaft 12, but spaced therefrom to perscraper feet 9 to engage the drum 7 and pass the strip 100 from the drum between the feet 9 and the blade 50. secured to the web by screws 9 The offtake chute 10 and its side plate 1O are secured to the web 5 in any approved manner. A spindle 11 projects from the web 5 to receive the strip roll 100, which roll is loosely held in place by a disk 11, and collar 11*.

The cam shaft 12 is mounted in bearing apertures in the webs 5 and 5 and at its forward end is squared as at 12 to fit within the bore 4 of the hub 4, while a ratchet 13 turns with the shaft 12 and cooperates with the pawl 13, spring pressed as at 14 to its engagement with the ratchet. At its rear end a cam 14 is secured to the shaft 12 while a locking disk 15 and a mutilated pinion 16 is secured to the shaft 12 between the cam 14 and the web 5". The cam 14 has a cam groove 14 while the locking disk has an elongated recess 15 the purpose of which will be hereinafter fully explained The mutilated pinion 16 has a tooth portion 16 and a smooth surface portion 16 to cooperate respectively with the tooth portions 17 and smooth curved surface portions 17 on the periphery of a master gear 17 secured to the drum shaft 6.

19 designates a bearing member projecting from the face of the web 5 in which a rock shaft 20 is held. The shaft 20 carries a cam lever 21 which is secured thereto by a set screw 2 or otherwise, and the lever 21 has a friction roller 21 to ride in the groove 14 of the cam 14, so that as the cam rotates the shaft 20 will be oscillated.

22 designates the movable knife which is secured to the shaft 20 through an aperture in the web 5 and cooperates with the fixed knife to effect a shearing action therewith and cut the strip 100 into sections, as it is fed to the knives by the drum.

The bearing member 19 is provided with a slideway 19 in which an adjustable slide 23 is adjustably held by screws 23 that pass through slots 23 in the slide, the upper edge of the slide 23 serving to cooperate with the pawl 24 of the coin pusher 24, the pawl 24 having its under surface to ride on the upper edge of the slide 23.

The cam 14 has its rear face grooved as at 14* to receive a plate 14 that is adjustably held in place by a set screw 14 and is provided with a projection 14 to cooperate with the pawl 24 of the coin pusher 24. The coin pusher 24 consists of an elongated body having slots 24 through which securing bolts 24 pass to secure the pusher 24 to r the lugs 5 on the rear face of the web 5, so

that the pusher may have longitudinal movement. The pusher 24 also includes a heel 24 which cooperates with an adjusting screw 24 that passes though a lug 5 prowhereby the longitudinal movement of the pusher 24 in one direction may be adjusted The guard 9 is gfor a purpose presently explained. The

pusher 24 is held with its stop 24 in contact with the screw 24 by a coil spring 24 as shown.

24 designates the coin engaging member of the pusher 24, which member is provided with a coin slot 24 Pivotally secured by a stud 25 to the rear face of the web 5 is the locking and registering lever 25, which lever 25 is provided with a locking heel or pawl 25 to cooperate with the locking disk 15, and at the other end the lever 25 is pivotally secured as at 25 to the operating rod of the registering mechanism 30, hereinafter again referred to. lhe lever 25 is also provided with an integrally formed coin receiving portion 25 to cooperate with the coin engaging member 24 of the pusher 24, and the coin engaging member 25 is provided With a coin receiving slot 25 in alinement with that of the member 24 of the member 24 26 designates the coin chute which is secured at its upper end to the rear face of the web 5 which web is provided with a coin slot 5 to register with the coin slot 1 in the casing front, and the coin chute 26 projects directly over the coin slots 24 and 25 of the coin engaging members 24 25 respectively thereof so that the coin as it falls down the slot 26 will enter the slots 24 and 25 and lock the coin receiving members 24 and 25 together.

The registering mechanism 30 to which no claim is made in my present application, is operated through the medium of the registering rod 30"--30 from the lever 25. A further description of the registering mechanism is thought to be unnecessary in this application.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the manner in which my invention operates will be as follows: Assume the strip 100, with its contents for sale to be placed in position, and the ends of the stri fed to the feeding drum 7, and it is desire to make a sale, the operator then drops the coin into the coin slot which then falls down between the coin engaging members 24 25 thus locking said members together. The operator then turns the knob 3 in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, which causes the finger portion 14 of the cam carried member 14 to pull the coin jecting from the rear face of the web 5 -drum. As soon as the drum has rotated the desired amount, the smooth portion 16 of the periphery of the mutilated pinion 16 will engage with the smooth portion 17 of the master gear 17 and hence the master and feeding drum will not be further rotated. As soon as this engagement has been made the cam causes the movable cutting knife to operate the knives and cut off the projected end of the strip. Continuing this rotation of the cam shaft the locking notch of the locking disk 15 will again come in alinement with the pawl portion of the lever 25 and stop rotation of the cam shaft as it enters its first position, while simuftaneously returning the movable shearing knife to its original position, thus the parts are ready to receive a second coin and go through the same series of operations. As the lever 25 is oscillated when a coin is in engagement with the members 24 and 25 the registering mechanism is operated by such lever.

The article containing strip 100 may be of any approved type, and provided with an y approved means for containing the article to be vended, as in this present invention, I make no claim to the specific construction of the strip 100, per 86, as the same will form the subject-matter of a co-pending applicatlon.

WVhile I have not described any particular articles adapted to be sold by this machine, yet the strip 100 may have its pockets 1G0 adapted to receive postage stamps which may be sold by the machine, the contents of one pocket being indicated on the front of the machine, and while the machine shown in the drawings is particularly designed and adapted for selling postage stamps, yet it may be easily adapted for selling railway tickets and other vendible articles of merchandise.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the complete construction, op-

erationand numerous advantages of my in vention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains.

What I claim is:

.1. In a machine of the class described, a rotatable operating shaft, a feeding mechanism geared With said rotating shaft, a cutting mechanism positively connected with and -5 operable from said operating shaft, said rotatable operating shaft, a strip feeding mechanism geared with said rotating shaft, a cutting mechanism positively connected with and operable from said operating shaft, said shaft having provisions for alternately operating the feeding and cutting mechanisms, said cutting mechanism comprising a fixed knife, a rock shaft, a movable cutter knife carried by said rock shaft to cooperate with the fixed cutter, connections between said rock shaft and said operating shaft for moving the movable cutter to its various positions, and a guard cooperating with said drum and said cutter to hold the strip in operative engagement with the feeding mechanism and direct the strip into alinement with the cutting mechanism.

In a device of the class described, a retatable strip feeding mechanism, an operat ing shaft therefor, a positively actuated cutting mechanism positively connected with said operating shaft to be completely operated thereby, the connections between the strip feeding and cutting mechanisms and the operating shaft having provisions for feeding the strip step by step to the cutting mechanism and positively operating the cut ting mechanism after the strip is moved each step.

t. In a machine of the class described, a rotatable feeding drum, a support in which said drum is rotatably mounted, a rotatable operating shaft, gear connections between said operating shaft and said drum, means for preventing rotation of said operating shaft in one direction, a cutting mechanism positively connected with said operating shaft to completely actuate alternately with said drum to cut the strip, means for operating said. cutting mechanism from said operating shaft alternately with said feeding drum.

5. In a machine of the class described, a feeding mechanism comprising a rotatable operating shaft, a rotatable drum, gear connections between the operating shaft and the drum for intermittently operating the drum, said drum adapted to feed. a continuous envelop, a cutting mechanism for severing said envelop into section-i as it is fed by the drum, means positively connected with said operating shaftfor intermittently and completely actuating said cutting mechanism from said operating shaft.

6. In a machine of the class described. a vending mechanism comprising a rotatable operating shaft, a rotatable drum, gear connections between the operating shaft and the drum for intr-irmittently operating the drum, said drum adapted to feed a continuous onvelop, a cutting mechanism for :cvering said envelop into sections as it is fed by the drum, means positively connected with said operating shaft for intermittently and completely actuating said cutting mechanism from said operating shaft, a guard embracing said drum to hold seid continuous envelop in engagement with the drum, a supplemental guard cooperating with said first mentioned guard and held. adjacent to said cutting mechanism, said st mentioned guard and said supplemental guard forming a passageway for the continuous envelop from the drum to the cutting mechanism.

7. In a vending machine for continuous envelops, a cutting mechanis '1 for severing said envelop 11110 sections, a feeding mechanism for feeding said envelop to said cutting mechanism, a main operating shaft, means positively connected with said operating shaft to completely actuate said cutting mechanism from said main operating shaft, and mutilated connections between said main operating shaft and said drum.

8. In a vending nmchine for continuous cnvelops, cutting mechanism for severing said envelop into sections, a feeding mechanism for feeding said envelop to cutting mechanism, a main operating she. means posi ively connected with said operating shaft and. completely actuating said cutting mechanism from said main operating shaft, mutilated gear connections between said main operating shaft and said drum, a guard embracing said drum and extending adjacent to said cutting mechanism, supplemental gusrd extending between the cutting mechanism and the drum to form a passageway with the first mentioned guard for the continuous envelop from the drum to the cutting mechanism.

9. In a vending machine for continuous envelops, a cutting mechanism for severing said envelop into sections, a feeding mechanism for feeding said envelop to said cutting mechanism, a main operating shaft, means positively connected with said operating shaft to completely actuate said cutting mechanism from said main operating shaft, mutilated gear connections between said main operating shaft and said drum, a guard embracing said drum and extending adjacent to said cutting mechanism, a supplemental guard extending between the cutting mechanism and the drum to form a passageway with the first mentioned guard for the continuous envelop from the drum to the cutting mechanism, said drum having peripherally spaced projections to engage apertures in the continuous envelop and said guards having slots to permit passage of said projections.

10. In a vending machine for continuous strips, a unidirectionally rotatable operating shaft, a cam member carried by said shaft, a fixed cutter and a pivotally mounted cutter, positive connections between said pivoted cutter and said cam member for completely operating the cutter from the operating shaft, a feeding mechanism comprising a rotatable drum around which a continuous strip is adapted to pass, connections between said operating shaft and said drum for intermittently operating the drum of the feeding mechanism, substantially as shown and described.

1 1. In a vending means for continuous envelops, a unidirectionally rotatable operating shaft, a cam member carried by said shaft, a fixed cutter and a pivotally mounted cutter, connections between said pivoted cutter and said cam member for comgletely operating the cutter from the operating shaft, a feeding mechanism comprising a rotatable drum shaft around which a continu ous strip is adapted to pass, connections between said operating shaft and said drum shaft for intermittently operating the drum shaft of the feeding mechanism, said drum having radial projections, a guard for said drum having a slot to permit passage of said projections, the said guard arranged to guide the strip to the cutting mechanism, substantially as shown and described.

12. In a vending means for continuous envelops, a unidirectionally rotatable operating shaft, a cam member carried by said shaft, a fixed and a pivotally mounted cutter, connections between said pivoted cutter and said cam member for positively operating the cutter from the operating shaft, a feeding mechanism comprising a rotatable drum shaft around which a continuous strip is adapted to pass, connections between said operating shaft and said drum shaft for intermittently operating the drum shaft of the feeding mechanism, said drum having radial projections, a guard for said drum having a slot to permit passage of said projections, the said guard arranged to guide the strip to the cutting mechanism, and a supplemental guard having scraper portions for engaging the drum to disconnect the strip therefrom and assist the first mentioned guard in feeding it to the cutting mechanism.

13. In a machine for vending from continuous strips, a rotatable operating shaft, a cam member carried thereby, a fixed cutter and a pivoted cutter, direct connections between the pivoted cutter and the, cam member for positively and completely operating said pivoted cutter from the operating shaft, said cam member and said cutter connections including means for locking the cutter during a portion of the rotation of the operating shaft, and a strip feeding mechanism operatively connected with said operating shaft.

14. In a machine for vending from continuous strips, a rotatable operating shaft, a cam member carried thereby, a fixed cutter and a pivoted cutter, direct connections between the pivoted cutter and the cam niemsaid pivoted cutter from the operating shaft,

said cam member and said cutter connections including means for locking the cutter during a portion of the rotation of the operating shaft, and a strip feeding mechanism operatively connected with said operating shaft, and intermittently operatable thereby.

WILLIAM CYRUS BRIGGS.

Witnesses:

J. WALTER CLAYTON, CHAS. B. KIMEL. 

